Amnon of Mainz

Amnon of Mainz ( also Amnon of Mentz ) is the main character of the best known medieval Jewish legend.

He is said to have lived around 940-1040 ( according to the Jewish calendar to 4700-4800 ) in Mainz.

The Legend

Amnon is an urbane and respected Mainz Jew, whom the archbishop of Mainz repeatedly tried to convert to Christianity ( other traditions after it is a Duke of Hesse. ) To the bishop one day get rid of, once again, Amnon asked three days to think it over, to go into itself. No sooner had he said this, he regretted it even as he himself interpreted it as a doubt of his own faith.

Because of this reason, Amnon on the appointed day would not come, the archbishop let him pick up by his guards and bring in the bishopric. Amnon, heartbroken over what he had said, let the bishop know that one should he cut off the tongue for his words. The bishop replied that he would not let his tongue cut off, as they have well spoken, but for the feet because they have not come and also my hands and it was so. Was then allowed to wear the disgraced home.

A little later, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Amnon can be brought into the synagogue and set next to the prayer leader along with his now salted severed limbs. When he wants to start with the lecture, interrupting him Amon. He wants to sanctify the name of God and reciting the pijjut " And now let the mighty holiness of this day to describe ...", that of the divine judgment day, which is connected with Rosh Hashanah. Hardly finished pijjut he disappears before the eyes of those present, for his God has taken him over. However, three days later the Rabbi Amnon appears Kalonymos ben Meshullam, taught him this prayer and instructed him to spread it to his memory.

History

The oldest record of this story is found in the writings of Israel of Krems in 1400 later in the Vilna Talmud, the oldest printed tradition is in the Machzor Roma of 1540. From there they took Gedaliah ibn Yahya in his Schalschelet haqabbala, from where they their gained popularity.

The Russian writer Simon Frug she served as the basis for a novel, Maxim Sakaschansky they processed into a German-speaking Jewish drama.